Means for way-billing.



.J. A. MURPHEY.

MEANS FOR WAY-BILLING. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. 1912.

1 1 96,749. Patented Aug. 29, 1916. 1 FIG. I

NEW YORK 'ro WEIGHT RATE AMOUNT A-I4 FIG. I

ADAMS EXPRESS" A44 4 COMPANY ADVANCE COLLECT A. MURPHEY, OF GERMANTOWN,PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR WAY-BILLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

Application filed February 5, 1912'. Serial No. 675,612.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES A. MURPHEY, ofGermantown, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Means for Way-Billing, whereof the followingis a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying draw in I lfly improvement is particularly applicable to systems of'way-billingpackages for shipment by express, to lessen the time and labor requiredby the present system. The effect of my improvement may be bestunderstood with reference to the present sys- Company to have a callerread from each package the name of the shipper and addressee to a wrlterwho is supposed to enter the same in the way-bill, to designate theentry with a number, and inform the caller of that number; the callerbeing supposed to' mark said number somewhere on the package, by pencilor paint. The way-bill is then forwarded to the ex ress office local tothe address on the pacliage. For instance, there are, at present,twenty-five shipments made I 'by Adams Express Company from Philadelphiato Bristol, Pennsylvania, per day and it is the present practice to senda single waybill with each'shipment, averaging forty articles. Moreover,the auditing department of said company finds it necessar stracts ofwayills which are sometimes very voluminous. Upon receipt of a. packageat that office, the clerk must refer to the Way-bill to ascertain what,if any, charge to make for expressage. Such reference requires the clerkto scan some if not all of the forty entries in the way-bill to selectthe information regarding each package. Such a system not onlynecessitates expenditure of much time and labor, but affordsopportunities for numerous errors which may be due to failures of thecaller and writer to hear each other, or, to the checking clerks failingto hear each other, or, to mismarking either the package or theway-bill. To avoid such errors it has been proposed to write a separateway-bill for each package and send it with the latter. However, suchpractice would involve an expenditure of much more time and labor thanthe present is the present practice under the present system to enter inits books ab-.

system in that it would necessitate the prepaatlon of forty times thepresent number of way-bills.

I propose to retain the present system of calling,,wr1ting, andinclusion of a plurality of items in each way-bill, but provide thewriter with a printed form constituting a way-bill having a series ofdistince tlvely numbered spaces and appropriately headed blank 0 umnsfor matter descriptive of respective shipments, and 1 provide the callerwith a; series of separable adhesive labels, to be attached to therespective shipments, respectively distinctively numbered incorrespondence with'the numbers on said way-bill; each of saidlabelshaving spaces for a date and for entries indicatin whether the chargefor shipment has een advanced, is to be collected, or has been paid;said spaces being conveniently respectively designated Advance CollectPaid.

Figure I showsa way bill having appropriately-headed columns and aseries of distinctively numbered spaces for entries relating; torespective shipments. Fig. II shows a convenient form of printedadhesive label; being one of a series of labels which are similar butare distinctively numbered in correspondence with the numbers on theway-bill. In said figure, the, reference mark A indicates an adhesivecoating upon the back of one of the labels, and it is to be understoodthat all of the labelsare provided with such a coating.

In accordance with -my invention each package carries the information,contained in the way-bill, essential to enable the agent at theplacestof delivery to makethe proper charges and entries independentlyof the way-bill; thus saving the time and labor now required to refer tothe way-bill for such information for each package. Moreover, inaccordance with my system a single line entry in the books requlred bythe auditing department of the express company is found sufficient toaccount for all of the packages shipped on a certain date to a certainplace from a given place of shipment. For Instance, a single line entrymay be made, accounting for two thousand packages as follows :J an. 16,to A2014 from Phila. to Bristol,-Pa.

I do not desire to limit myself. to the precise details of constructionand arrangement 1912, packages Al4 herein described as varibusmodifications may be made therein without departing from the essentialfeatures of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. Means for way billing express shipments, including a printedform constituting a way bill having a series of distinctively numberedspaces and appropriately-headed blank columns for matter descriptive ofre spective shipments,- and a series of separable adhesive labels, to beattached to the respective shipments,

numbers on said way bill; each of said labels having spaces for a dateand for entries indicating whether the charge for shipment has beenadvanced, is to be collected, or has been paid; said spaces beingrespectively designated Advance Collect Paid.

2. Means for Way billing express ship meats, including a printed formconstituting a way bill having a series of distinctively numbered spacesand appropriatelyheaded blank columns for matter descriptive ofrespective shipments, and a series of separable adhesive labels, to beattached to the respective shipments, respectively distinctivelynumbered in correspondence with the numbers on said Waybill; each ofsaid labels having spaces for a date and for entries indicating Whetherthe charge for shipment has been advanced, is to be collected, or hasbeen paid.

3. Means for way billing express shipments, including a printed formconstituting away bill having a series of distinctively numbered spacesand appropriatelyheaded blank columns for matter-descriptive ofrespective shipments, and a series of separable'adhesive labels, to beattached tothe respective shipments, respectively distinctively numberedin correspondence with v .the numbers on said Way bill; each of matterrelating to respective shipments.

6. Means for Way-billing express shipments, including a series ofdistinctively successively numbered, primarily connected but separableadhesive labels; each having appropriately;designatedspaces for matterconcerning the shipment to which it relates, indicating therespectivelydistinc tively numbered in correspondence with the.

date of shipment,- and whether the advanced, is paid.

charge for shipment has been to be collected, or has been 7. Means forway-billing express shipments, including a series of distinctivelysuccessively numbered, primarily connected but separable adhesivelabels; each having appropriately designated spaces for matterconcerning the shipment to which it relates.

8. Means for way-billing express shipments, including a printed formconstituting a Way-bill having aserles of distinctively numbered spacesand appropriately designated columns for matter descriptive ofrespective shipments, and a series of separable adhesive labels, to beattached to the respective shipments;

tively numbe numbers on labels having respectively distincred incorrespondence with the said way -bill; each of said appropriatelydesignated spaces for entries concerning the shipment to which itrelates.

9. -Means for way-billing express ship ments, including a printed formconstituting a way-bill having a series of distinctively numbered spacesand appropriately designated columns for matter descriptive ofrespective shipments,

and a series of separable adhesive labels, to be attached to therespective shipments,

respectively distinctively numbered in correspondence with the numberson said Way-bill; each of said labels having appropriately designatedspaces for entries concerning the shipment to which it relates,indicating the date of shipment,

and whether the charge for shipment has been advanced, is to becollected, or has been paid.

10. Means for Way-billing express shipments, including a printed formconstituting a way-bill having a series of distinctively numberedappropriately designated spaces and appropriately designated columns formatter descri tive of respective shipments; a series of primarilyconnected but separable adhesive labels, arranged to be respectivelyattached to the respective shipments, said labels being respectivelydistinctively numbered in correspondence with the numberson saidWay-bill; each of said labels having appropriately designated spaces fora date and for entries indicating whether the charge for shipment hasbeen advanced, is to be collected, or has been paid; said Way-bill andlabels each having entries" therein, the entries in said labelscorresponding with the entries in said way-bill, and the entries in saidway-bill being respectively identified with the respective labels.

11. Means for Way-billing an express -shipment, including adistinctively numbered adhesive label for attachment to the shipment,and having appropriately designated spaces for a date and for entriesindicating whether the charge for shipment has 6 been advanced, is to becollected, or has been paid; the number on said label corresponding withthe number of an entry in the office records of said shipment.

12. Means for waybilling an express shipment, including an adhesivelabel for attachment to said shipment, bearing a disshipment, includinga label attached to and carried by said shipment to its destination;said label bearing a distinctive number corresponding with the number ofan entry in the o'flice records of said shipment, and said label havingappropriately designated spaces for entries concerning the shipment towhich it is attached.

14. Means for way-billing express shipments, including a printed formhaving a single series of spaces and appropriately headed columns formatter descriptive of' respective shipments; all-of said spaces beingdistinctively successively numbered in. a single series; and a serles ofseparable adhesive labels, adapted to be attached to the respectiveshipments, respectively distinctively consecutively numbered incorrespondence with the numbers on said way bill; each of said labelshaving spaces for a date and for entries indicating whether the chargefor shipment is to be collected or has been paid; whereby each shipmentcarries the information, on said label, contained in said way-bill,essential to enable the agent at the'place of delivery to make 40 v theproper'charges and entries independ ently of the way-bill; and saidway-bill constitutes a record of the respective labels and shipments. I1 .15. Means for way-billing express shipments, including a series ofseparable'adhesive labels adapted to be attached to the respectiveshipments, eachbearing a printed number individually distinguishing itfrom all other such labels, and each having spaces fora date and 'forentries indicating whether the charge for shipment is to be collected orhas been paid; whereby each shipment, pro- .vided with such a label,carries the information essential to enable the agent at the place ofdelivery to make the proper charges and entries independently of anyway-bill separate from the shipment. y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this thirty-first day of January, 1912.

JAMES A. MURPHEY.

Witnesses: v

WM. J. LITTEL, G. E. HAMPDEN.

